Search form

Main menu

Colour and Line, room guide, Italy 1819

Room 2

The watercolours Turner painted on his first Italian tour marked a turning point in his career. His encounter with warm Mediterranean light inspired a dramatic lightening of his palette: while architectural details are treated with soft pinks and browns, loose, wet washes of limpid blues depict tranquil skies over tepid, clear waters.

Once again Turner uses a variety of papers. Compare the studies on light grey paper with those on a white background.

Joseph Mallord William TurnerRome: The Colosseum 1819Gouache, pencil and watercolour on papersupport: 231 x 369 mmAccepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856

Joseph Mallord William TurnerRome from the Villa Barberini: A Rainbow in the Distance 1819Pencil, watercolour and watercolour wash on papersupport: 230 x 362 mmAccepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856